Guiding You Through the Immigration Process

Grounded in Immigration Law for More than 40 Years

The immigration law firm of Brown Immigration Law is proud to represent clients
in North Carolina, as well as across the United States and the world.
Our firm has focused its practice on immigration alone for more than 40
years and can provide extensive insight and skilled counsel no matter
what issue you may be facing. Robert Brown - the firm's founding attorney
- has more than four decades of experience himself and spent much of his
former practice as the INS district director in Cleveland, Ohio. He even
assisted in developing the agency's I-9 compliance procedures. Attorneys
Rishi Oza and Aleksandar Cuic are also highly qualified, having both been
selected for inclusion in
Super Lawyers® Rising Stars℠ since 2010.

Consult with a North Carolina immigration attorney from
Brown Immigration Law today if you are in need of the best immigration counsel and representation
available. Our attorneys are seasoned in litigation and defense, but are
also skilled in providing caring and comprehensive counsel. Call today
to schedule your case evaluation to speak with a member of our team about
your options. We handle all types of immigration issues and are prepared
to provide the services you need.

Brown Immigration Law: Resources and Case Types

Adjustment of Status - An adjustment of status allows a non-immigrant worker or visitor to
change the status of their visa to that of a lawful permanent resident.
This allows them to obtain a green card and remain in the United States
permanently.

Agencies - There are a large number of government agencies that may be involved
in your immigration process, including the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICS), the Department of State
(DOS), and the Department of Labor (DOL). Learn about these agencies and
their duties by consulting with an immigration attorney as soon as possible.

Bars to Returning to the U.S. - An immigrant can commit certain deeds that prevent them from returning
to the United States. Common examples include unlawful presence, a prior
removal, conviction of a crime, or fraud or misrepresentation when applying
for their visa.

Change of Status - A change of status allows an immigrant to switch from one non-immigrant
visa to another. For example, a temporary immigrant worker may desire
to become a student in the United States. They must therefore switch to
an F-1 student visa.

Citizenship - Immigrants can obtain citizenship through
naturalization. Aside from that, all other forms of U.S. citizenship must be obtained
through birth. This includes acquired citizenship and derivative citizenship.
We can guide you through the
naturalization process and help you better understand your eligibility and requirements.

Consular Processing - In order to apply for a visa while not present in the United States,
most foreign nationals must undergo consular processing at their local
U.S. Consulate or embassy before being granted legal entry into and residence
in the United States.

Detention and Bonds - Oftentimes, an immigrant facing deportation proceedings will be detained
by the federal government. If so, they may qualify for a bond and fight
against their deportation outside of detention.

Diversity - The United States government encourages diversity when it comes to immigration.
To boost the number of immigrants from countries with lower immigration
rates to the U.S., Congress began the U.S. Diversity Visa (DV) Program.
Every year, a lottery selects a set number of applicants at random and
awards them with a diversity visa. The fewer immigrants a country had
to the U.S. the year before, the higher their applicants chances of winning will be.

Documentary Requirements - The immigration process involves extensive applications, as well as
provision of certain documents as proof of identification or authorization
to work. Such documents include visas, passports, border crossing cards,
reentry permits, and much more.

Employment Authorization - Immigrant workers must first be granted an employment authorization
document (EAD) before beginning their employment in the United States.
A copy of this document must also be provided to their employer for verification
at the time of hire.

Employment-Based Non-Permanent Residents - Some work visas are only for temporary stays and therefore do not grant
lawful permanent residency. These include business visas, student visas,
seasonal worker visas, NAFTA visas, and much more.

Employment-Based Permanent Residents - Immigrant workers can obtain lawful permanent resident (LPR) status
or a green card by obtaining legal work in the United States. Types of
immigrant work visas are split into five categories, some of which require
the employer to obtain a PERM certification and require the employee to
provide proof of authorization to work in the United States.

Extensions - In some cases, an immigrant may desire to have their temporary visa
extended, either to engage in further recreation or to allow themselves
more time for a business venture or other employment-based issues.

Family-Based Immigration - Many immigrants simply desire to join their loved one(s) in the U.S.
Immediate relatives may apply for a visa and move into the country immediately
upon approval as non-immigrants while their application for adjustment
of status is pending. All other relatives, such as siblings or grown children,
must wait for a visa number to become available before immigrating.

Family-Sponsored Preferences - When it comes to family visas, there are four levels of preference ranging
from unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens to brothers and sisters
of U.S. citizens. Immediate family is not required to wait for a visa
number before moving to the U.S., while all other relatives must do so.

Fiancé / Fiancée - Foreign nationals who are engaged to a U.S. citizen may apply for a
K-1 or K-2 visa in order to join their loved one in the United States.
They must be married within 90 days of their arrival, however, and must
apply for lawful permanent resident status.

Habeas Corpus - If an immigrant believes that they have been wrongfully imprisoned,
a representative may file a writ of habeas corpus allowing the immigrant
to be released and brought before a judge or into court. There must be
a lack of sufficient evidence for lawful detention in order to do so.

I-9 - Form I-9 is a means of verifying an employee's authorization to work
in the United States. All employers must have every employee complete
this form - and must complete a section, themselves - before an employee
is allowed to begin work. Failure to comply with I-9 regulations could
result in civil penalties against an employer and / or an employee.

Immediate Relatives - Spouses, dependent children, and parents of U.S. citizens may apply
for family visas and gain immediate entry into the country upon approval
of their application. At first they will be considered a non-immigrant,
but by applying for an adjustment of status, they can soon be granted
green cards.

Legalization - The legalization process allows individuals who have been unlawful residents
since prior to January 1, 1982, as well as physically present since November
3, 1986, the ability to receive temporary resident status. They may then
apply for permanent resident status.

Naturalization - Lawful permanent residents who have held a green card for at least five
years and been residents for at least seven years may apply for citizenship
through naturalization. This process requires fingerprinting, an interview,
English and civics tests, and taking the Oath of Allegiance.

Notice to Appear - Immigrants who are unlawfully present in the country may be served a
notice to appear by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This
is the first step in the deportation and removal process.

Order of Supervision - An order of supervision releases (under supervision) an immigrant from
detention who is subject to removal, but cannot be removed for any number
of reasons. One such reason would be that the individual's country of
origin no longer exists and they therefore cannot be deported.

Other Non-Immigrants - There are even more non-immigrant visas that are very unique and specialized.
These include crewmember visas, vocational student visas, terrorism informant
visas, children of students, and more.

Persecution - Individuals facing persecution in their home country have several immigration
options. If they are currently in their home country, they could visit
their local U.S. embassy or consulate and request a refugee status. If
they are in the States, they could request asylum and be protected from
deportation until their temporary or permanent resident status is granted.

Registry - The process of registry allows an immigrant who has resided in the U.S.
for an extensive period of time to apply for lawful permanent resident
status (a green card).

Relief from Removal - A form of deportation defense, relief from removal allows removal proceedings
to be cancelled or allows the unlawful resident to voluntarily leave the
country. Asylum is also a form of relief from removal, as is a stay of removal.

Removal (Deportation and Exclusion) - Immigrants who enter the country unlawfully will be removed from the
country through deportation. Removal proceedings are generally handled
by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and require excellent
legal representation and defense in order to be cancelled or stayed.

Stay of Removal - A stay of removal prevents the Department of Homeland Security from
moving forward with deportation proceedings. This can provide the immigrant
with an opportunity to obtain lawful residency or another form of relief.

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) - Some immigrants may find themselves unable to return to their home country
due to war, conflict, or upheaval. In order to prevent removal proceedings
due to overstay of their visa, they may be eligible for TPS if their country
is on the list provided by the Department of Homeland Security.

Unlawful Presence - Any immigrant who enters the United States without a valid visa is unlawfully
present in the country. As such, they will be deported by the Department
of Homeland Security upon discovery unless they obtain a lawful resident status.

Waivers - There are various different waivers available to prevent deportation
in the event that the removal would result in extreme hardship for the
immigrant or their immediate family.

Writs of Mandamus - A writ of mandamus can be filed to prompt government agencies to move
forward with an immigration case. Although the process always takes time,
agencies can take longer than necessary and should be required to remedy
their wrongful behavior.

Hire a Lawyer from Our Firm Today

Each immigration attorney with Brown Immigration Law is highly qualified to
handle your immigration case, no matter how complicated or hopeless it
may seem. It is in your best interest to call now to speak with a member
of our team and determine what options are available to you. Our firm
has been practicing immigration law exclusively for more than four decades
and our attorneys have extensive backgrounds and skills to utilize on
your behalf.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only.
Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual
case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt
or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.